GREAT READS

Making Rounds with Oscar

David Dosa

Told by Dr. David Dosa, M.D., Making Rounds with Oscar is a heartwarming story of a cat named Oscar who touches the lives of many during the darkest times of their lives. Oscar appears to be an ordinary cat; he is moody, lazy and very independent. When Dr. Dosa first meets Oscar, he's not impressed and is actually left with a scratch or two.

Have you heard of the cat that knows when people are dying and will not leave their side? That cat is Oscar. He may not be much to the living in the nursing home, but he is everything to the residents who are dying and their families. Dr. Dosa, like many other skeptics, found this claim to be too fantastic when he was first heard of Oscar's ability. Yet he came to realize that every time a resident passed away, Oscar was there. He was there before nurses and doctors even knew the resident was dying and Oscar stayed until the funeral director came to the nursing home. If the door to the resident's room was shut, he would pace in front and eventually claw at the door until he was let in.

Like Oscar, Dr. Dosa focuses on the residents in this book. He introduces the reader to a wide variety of colorful characters and inspiring caregivers and tells their stories from interviews and his own firsthand experience. In retrospect, Oscar's role in this book is rather small, but his impact is immeasurable. To the families and caregivers of dementia and Alzheimer's patients, every slight improvement is a victory and just being there helps incalculably. This is Oscar's role, just being there.

Oscar has been described as an angel, selfless (which if you have ever met a cat this is quite a feat) and loving. Making Rounds with Oscar is moving, emotional, funny and a must read for caregivers and cat lovers alike!

Recommended by Shannon Jackson